The Record

Autumn 2017

The Autumn 2017 issue of The Record is out now and available to download free of charge in digital format. Visit the magazine page to read the magazine online, or to download a copy to your device.

In this issue there’s a strong focus on the key themes that will be presented at Sibos 2017. You’ll find a sneak preview of some of the announcements in our marketwatch section, plus Peter Hazou presents an in depth look at the solutions that Microsoft and its partners will be presenting at the event in the financial services section.

Our cover story this time is focused on how advances in technologies including cloud, big data, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) are facilitating the digital transformation of every industry. Toni Townes-Whitley is joined by a number of key Microsoft partners to explain how.

In our communications and media section, we take a look at how telco companies can differentiate themselves in an increasingly challenging market by using the Microsoft Azure cloud. And in the manufacturing section you’ll find insight into how the internet of things, combined with new advances in artificial intelligence, smart robots and mixed reality, is enabling manufacturing companies to transform their business and realise levels of efficiency that they could only dream of in the past.

Plus, don’t miss our public sector feature on what can be done to bridge the widening skills gap, or our special interview with Microsoft’s ShiSh Shridhar on how analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence can empower retailers to accurately predict hyper-local demand for products.

Plus, there’s the usual mix of news, case studies, interviews and executive insight from across the Microsoft partner network.

Industry highlights

Communications and Media

Bob Dehaven: Microsoft

It’s a tough time for telco companies. Faced with the need to differentiate themselves in an increasingly challenging market, they’ve found that the only way to succeed is to partner up with other leaders – companies that would in the past be considered competitors.

Successfully implementing a new business model is no easy feat. In the following pages we find out how pioneering companies are getting it right, accelerating their journey using the Microsoft Azure cloud. We also hear from a number of selected partners to discover more about the valuable work they are doing across this ever-changing industry.

Financial Services

Andrew Longstaff: Microsoft

The confluence of technology advances, cultural shifts, and regulatory change has brought the financial services industry to a pivotal moment. The cloud is enabling a wave of innovation, empowering financial institutions to create new value and be an indispensable part of interdependent value chains that cross business and industry boundaries.

It’s this digital transformation that we’ll be focusing on at Sibos 2017 – the premier forum for the global financial services community, that will bring together influential leaders from financial institutions, market infrastructures and technology partners to collectively shape the future of financial services. In the following pages, you’ll find an in-depth overview of the solutions we’ll be presenting with our partners, along with the usual mix of thought leadership articles and case studies.

The benefits of robotic process automation, according to Blue Prism’s David Moss

Manufacturing and Resources

Çaglayan Arkan: Microsoft

IoT has had an incredible rise to fame over recent years. While it is making a mark in almost every industry, for manufacturers in particular, it’s impact is huge.

This impact is growing by the day. Combined with new advances in artificial intelligence, smart robots and mixed reality, it is enabling manufacturing companies to transform their business and realise levels of efficiency that they could only dream of in the past.

We explore all of this and more in the pages that follow. Plus, don’t miss the usual mix of viewpoints and case studies from our partners operating across the sector.

Mike James from ATS Global on the new technologies reshaping manufacturing

Public Sector

Kristin Flandreau: Microsoft

The latest statistics reveal that more than 50% of today’s jobs require some technology skills, and a recent report from the US Department of Labor indicated that that percentage will increase to 77% in less than a decade.

With this in mind, Microsoft is working with government and non-governmental organisations, schools, educators and businesses to develop the technology skills of students, empower developers and start-ups, and help today’s workers acquire the skills they need for tomorrow. You can find out exactly how in this section, where you’ll also find insight from across the sector.

Massimo Crudeli from AX for Pharma explains how to digitise supply chains

Retail and Hospitality

Tracey Issel: Microsoft

At a time when competition is rife and customer experience is king, avoiding out-of-stock scenarios can make a huge difference to a retailer’s bottom line.

In the following pages, we find out how retailers can effectively predict which products will sell and how they can choose the optimum product assortment and inventory level to ensure that they can always meet customer demand. Also in this issue, we look at how fashion retailer Asos has gone from strength to strength, thanks to its new microservices platform running on Microsoft Azure.

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